Francesco Clark, CEO and founder of Clark's Botanicals
With a resume that included stints in the fashion departments of magazines like Mademoiselle and Bazaar, Francesco Clark had just been promoted to a new position at a celebrity PR firm when a fluke accident in the summer of 2002 changed the course of his life entirely. “I had a summer share in Long Island … There was a pool in the house and I dove in and hit my head on the bottom of the pool, forcing my head back so abruptly that it shattered two vertebrae in my spine, just below my skull. I became paralyzed in the blink of an eye,” recalls Clark.
Because of the damage to his spinal cord, Clark’s skin “stopped reacting temperature” and he could no longer sweat, which upset the balance of his skin. “Anything and everything that could go wrong with my skin went wrong. And it was at a time in my recovery when I wanted to do more than just physical therapy for seven hours a day. I wanted to look good! I wanted people to smile and talk to me, not because they saw my wheelchair and felt sorry for me, but because they wanted to get to know me,” says Clark.
After trying myriad over the counter and prescription skincare products, he decided to take matters into his own hands: “I turned to my father, who is a medical doctor and homeopathic doctor, and we began investigating botanical extracts.” After testing 78 different extracts, the two discovered Jasmine Absolute, a natural oil that rebalances skin; it’s the hero ingredient of Clark’s Botanicals, the skincare line Clark founded and has built up from a website-only operation to a major brand with distribution in stores like Space.NK and Henri Bendel. We talked to the botanical skincare entrepreneur about his commitment to all-natural ingredients, product efficacy, and his work as a national ambassador for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation.
Why was it important for you to make products that are all-natural and paraben-free?
FRANCESCO CLARK: The DNA of Clark's Botanicals is about making your skin look and act as healthy as it can, from the inside out. You can only get to that by using ingredients that are good for your skin. So many of the chemical ingredients used in most skincare lines would give me the worst reactions. I'd turn bright red, then peel, or I'd break out within three days of trying a new product.
Tell us why you chose to combine algae, jasmine, and glycolic acid in your new exfoliating moisturizer, Smoothing Marine Cream.
FC: I never like to focus on one ingredient as the ‘secret’ ingredient in any one product. While Jasmine Absolute is fantastic for its unique anti-aging, calming, and moisturizing properties, we always look at the synergy between ingredients in any product to achieve a dynamic result. The Smoothing Marine Cream was a very risky product to launch, mainly because we used a very high percentage of active ingredients to actually cause a change in your skin. So, when you apply it to your skin, you're going to feel the sugar-derived glycolic acid tingle, because it's working.
Are you working on any other new products at the moment?
FC: We are finalizing formulations for three new products right now. They take about four years to make from square one; it's important to me that each product actually works, and we make sure every ingredient has a reason for being in the formulation. I get a little too protective of our products, but I want them to be well received and make our customers happy.
What is your best skincare advice?
FC: There is no quick fix. Sure, there are ingredients that will give you a lifting effect. But being diligent about moisturizing, and using potent serums and SPF are what will keep future damage at bay.
Where can New Yorkers purchase Clark's Botanicals?
FC: Henri Bendel, Space.NK, C.O. Bigelow, New London Pharmacy, Clyde's on Madison, Odin, and ClarksBotanicals.com.
You’re a national ambassador for the Christopher & Dana Reeve Foundation. Can you tell us about your role, and how others can help.
FC: Call me! No, really though, if you want to get involved, I try to make it as easy as possible. You can join the Champion's Committee, which Matthew Reeve, Alexandra Reeve Givens, and I started a couple of years ago. Our mission is to have NYC-based events that make it easy for you to contribute to the mission of finding a cure, and [also to help] care for so many people living with paralysis. You can commit to becoming buff and running with Team Reeve, or you can bring friends to our events, where 100 percent of the ticket price goes toward medical grants.